Diary

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency's English Desk plans to cover on Thursday, March 25, 2021 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):

TURKEY

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to receive visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

ANKARA - Monitoring developments on coronavirus pandemic in Turkey, worldwide.

ANKARA - Health Minister Fahrettin Koca to chair online meeting of Coronavirus Scientific Board.

US

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden to hold first press conference since taking office this January.

WASHINGTON - State Department, UN officials to testify before Senate Foreign Relations Committee on situation in Myanmar since Feb. 1 coup.

WASHINGTON - UN Security Council to discuss situation in Middle East, including Palestine.

BELGIUM

BRUSSELS - Ties with Turkey to be major topic at 2-day EU leaders' summit held via video conference. Leaders will discuss transatlantic relations together with US President Joe Biden.

GERMANY

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel to address lawmakers ahead of EU summit, where European leaders will discuss international issues, including future of Turkish-EU ties.

ALBANIA

TIRANA - Turkish Education Minister Ziya Selcuk to hold talks in Albania.

PALESTINE

RAMALLAH - Latest developments and preparations for Palestinian parliamentary elections slated for May 22.

SAUDI ARABIA

RIYADH - Following regional and international reactions to Saudi initiative to end Yemeni war.

SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Anti-corruption commission to seek Constitutional Court order to jail former President Jacob Zuma for contempt.

CAMEROON

YAOUNDE - World Health Organization Africa office to give briefing on COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

SENEGAL

DAKAR - 22nd ordinary session of West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) to take place via video link.

THE ECONOMY

ANKARA – Both Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez and Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank to attend Uludag Economic Summit via video link.

ANKARA - Via video link, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli to attend launch meeting for local action groups for 15 provinces as part of LEADER Project.

ANKARA - Via video link, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu to attend meeting of counterparts in Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

ANKARA - Turkish Central Bank to release summary of last Monetary Policy Board meeting.

ANKARA - Central Bank to announce weekly money and bank statistics.

ANKARA - Central Bank to release financial services statistics and financial services confidence index for March.

SPORTS

ISTANBUL - Turkish basketball club Anadolu Efes to host Greece’s Panathinaikos in EuroLeague Round 31 game.

SPECIAL REPORT

Surprise candidates enter fray in Iran’s presidential polls

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - With less than 100 days left till Iran’s presidential elections, some new faces have joined the fray, hoping to spring a surprise. Elections for the top post are scheduled to be held on June 18.

SPECIAL REPORT

Afghan capital hums with children as school year begins

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - The streets in the Afghan capital Kabul are once again abuzz with excited children as the new school year begins with the scent of spring in the air.

SPECIAL REPORT

Brazil reaches grim COVID-19 landmark

By Gabriel Toueg

SAO PAULO (AA) - Brazil recorded its 300,000th COVID-19 fatality on Wednesday, only 75 days after registering 200,000 deaths, according to local media.

SPECIAL REPORT

I want peace in Afghanistan, not position for myself: Karzai

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Recent developments in the Afghan peace process, provoked by a possible refusal of the new US administration to withdraw its troops in violation of the 2020 agreement with the Taliban, pushed countries to try and avert a resulting escalation in hostilities.